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I really enjoy these each year. There is something soothing and reflective about the context--that lull after the gifts have been opened, the dinner has been eaten, (maybe the football has been watched) and it's time to relax and play some music. Well...this is what it feels like to me, anyway. Christmas with the Shadows.

I appreciate it even more as I have become more familiar with Shadows repertoire thanks to a recently purchased three disc "best of" collection.

You are both great of course, but I must say that your Dad's stellar rhythm continues to impress. I especially like the steady arpeggiated chord sections and the steady harmony and pulse he provides.

websurfer wrote:

I really enjoy these each year. There is something soothing and reflective about the context--that lull after the gifts have been opened, the dinner has been eaten, (maybe the football has been watched) and it's time to relax and play some music. Well...this is what it feels like to me, anyway. Christmas with the Shadows.

I appreciate it even more as I have become more familiar with Shadows repertoire thanks to a recently purchased three disc "best of" collection.

You are both great of course, but I must say that your Dad's stellar rhythm continues to impress. I especially like the steady arpeggiated chord sections and the steady harmony and pulse he provides.

I think it would be a wonderful privilege to be able to play music with others in my family. I have some great-nephews that are quite gifted musically. They don't live close by, so we rarely get to play music together, but the occasions when we do are great.

But to actually work out songs together like Ivan and his father, that would really be a treat. The Beach Boys had that, three brothers and a cousin, plus a couple of friends. I know that I'm closest to people I've played music with.

The artist formerly known as: Synchro

When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.

Clarry wrote:

PolloGuitar wrote:

Clarry wrote:

Anyway, back to Ivan and his father...

Right?
Ivan, thanks for sharing these videos with us.

It really is a special partnership!

I still want to know about the Burns, though.

By law, Ivan should have been playing a Fiesta Red Strat.

The artist formerly known as: Synchro

When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.

synchro wrote:

Clarry wrote:

PolloGuitar wrote:

Clarry wrote:

Anyway, back to Ivan and his father...

Right?
Ivan, thanks for sharing these videos with us.

It really is a special partnership!

I still want to know about the Burns, though.

By law, Ivan should have been playing a Fiesta Red Strat.

Maple neck one, I should note)

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https://soundcloud.com/vitaly-yakushin

Hey, thanks all once again, really glad you're enjoying the videos!

Clarry, my dad and I had matching Burns Marquee guitars in the early 2000s, but ultimately didn't like them very much. They didn't sound as good as our Fenders, and certainly didn't play as well. In particular, my trem was very problematic and wouldn't stay in tune despite having my pro guitar tech work on it several times. It was made out of inferior materials, I think. So, we got rid of them.

I have zero interest in copying Hank to the point of having the same Strat as he does, that's just not the type of a person I am. I enjoy striving to be able to play and sound like him, but emulating his guitar, I don't know, that just seems like idol worship, and I'm not interested. I bought my fiesta red Strat in 1990, and I actually didn't even know that was the fiesta red color until I was paying for the guitar and the salesman just casually mentioned it. I had read that Hank used a fiesta red Strat, but had not seen a color photo of him with one at that point, they were not easy to find in the US in the '80s! I chose the color before I knew what it was. And I just prefer rosewood fretboards to maple. Anyway, Hank used a Strat with a rosewood fretboard from '61 until '64, starting around the time of The Savage and Wonderful Land, being featured on huge hits like Dance On, Foot Tapper, Atlantis, Shindig, Theme For Young Lovers, Geronimo, etc. So, I think I'm good.

Thanks again!

Ivan
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synchro wrote:

Hank’s red Strat was sort of a bit of good fortune. I don’t think that Fender customers in Great Britain had many choices innthat day and the Strat in question was brought into the UK by Cliff Richard. It just so happened to be a very beautiful guitar. Hank wouldn’t look like Hank playing any other color Strat.

Hank's guitar just happened to be a near approximation of Royal colours? a coincidence? Think Red Coat military (red, white, gold) or anything state owned with Her Majesty the Queen's crest and you'll probably see red. London buses, Telephone booths, postal letter boxes for instance.

synchro wrote:

crumble wrote:

synchro wrote:

Hank’s red Strat was sort of a bit of good fortune. I don’t think that Fender customers in Great Britain had many choices innthat day and the Strat in question was brought into the UK by Cliff Richard. It just so happened to be a very beautiful guitar. Hank wouldn’t look like Hank playing any other color Strat.

Hank's guitar just happened to be a near approximation of Royal colours? a coincidence? Think Red Coat military (red, white, gold) or anything state owned with Her Majesty the Queen's crest and you'll probably see red. London buses, Telephone booths, postal letter boxes for instance.

From what I read, Cliff picked up the Strat in the US. I had the impression that he bought what he could readily find, so I don't know if there was any intention to buy any certain color.

The story I heard was that Marvin wanted a Stratocaster as seen on the cover of a Buddy Holly record. They had possession of a Fender catalogue which featured Fender guitars of various colours and chose to order the red with gold hardware. Cliff and the Shadows thinking of their careers, the church worried youth would turn to beatnik devil worship, her majesty the queen head of the church obliged in making them her favourite beat group. Well, that's what I see!

Picture taken from 1962, The lady sitting the chair is Princess Margaret.

What I remember from a different interview with either Hank or Bruce is that when they got the Fender catalog and poured through it, they decided to simply order the most expensive model on offer, thinking that somebody like James Burton would have that instrument. The catalog they got was the '58-'59 one, which did not yet feature the Jazzmaster - and the most expensive model was the one on the front cover, the fiesta red Strat with gold hardware! So, that's the one that they sent Cliff's assistant in search of in NYC! Here's the cover of that catalog:

Ivan
Lords of Atlantis on Facebook
The Madeira Official Website
The Madeira on Facebook
The Blair-Pongracic Band on Facebook
The Space Cossacks on Facebook
The Madeira Channel on YouTube

IvanP wrote:

What I remember from a different interview with either Hank or Bruce is that when they got the Fender catalog and poured through it, they decided to simply order the most expensive model on offer, thinking that somebody like James Burton would have that instrument. The catalog they got was the '58-'59 one, which did not yet feature the Jazzmaster - and the most expensive model was the one on the front cover, the fiesta red Strat with gold hardware! So, that's the one that they sent Cliff's assistant in search of in NYC! Here's the cover of that catalog:

OK, that meshes well with the legends I've been exposed to. I remember reading, or perhaps hearing, in an interview and came away with the impression that the Fiesta Red finish was far from cast in stone. I can see why they'd want that color, it was very attractive with the gold hardware. I wonder if anyone has ever come up with a durable fret material that would match gold hardware? Would that not be too cool for school?

As you mentioned earlier, finding a way to make themselves acceptable to the British public had to be a challenge. In the same time frame, here in the US, there were plenty of people that had no use for Rock n' Roll musicians. I would imagine that some of the stuffier elements of British society were not at all amused. Amazing, because people like Buddy Holly and bands like The Shadows seem pretty wholesome these days.

I watched an instructional video, linked by Delrin 96 mm and was quite impressed. It's probably the closest look I've ever had at Hank's playing. I was really impressed by his instrumental of Peggy Sue. The techniques he used really brought it to life. He captures a lot of inflection and nuance which makes it seem much closer to the vocal version. From that song, and many other places in the video, it is obvious that Hank puts a lot of thought into how he fingers various phrases.

Likewise, his use of the vibrato is world class. He seems to have mastered the subtle application of vibrato.

The artist formerly known as: Synchro

When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.